The 2013 Oregon Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health (GOSH) Conference in Portland attracted more than 1,650 attendees from as far away as Alaska and New Hampshire. The four day March event – the largest of its kind in the Northwest, featured 150 workshops and sessions, an awards luncheon, and safety and health exhibits from more than 120 organizations.
Skilled forklift operators competed for cash prizes in the Columbia Forklift Challenge, held in conjunction with GOSH on March 5. Drivers were tested on their ability to operate a forklift safely during an obstacle course.
Top finishers in the Columbia Forklift Challenge are as follows:
Individuals
1st Andrew Ibbotson (Americold)
2nd Mike Morrison (Cascade Steel Rolling Mills)
3rd Cory Jenks (NACCO Materials Handling Group)
Team winner
Americold – Lynden, WA (Andrew Ibbotson, Neil Caylor, Randy Langwell)
The course offered a variety of challenges, such as tight slalom runs, precise loading/unloading using pallets, racking, and other props. All drivers competing were required to have employer-certified training and attended an orientation the morning of the event.
The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA), a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, partners with the Columbia-Willamette Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers to sponsor the Oregon GOSH conference. The GOSH 2015 event is slated for March 9-12.